Insects. 7S01 



wing, and a still smaller one at the apex ; opposite the middle spot is another dark 

 gray spot on the inner margin, extending across the wing, nearly joining the one on 

 the costa, the space between the spots being speckled with dark gray, so as apparently 

 to form a dark gray band across the wing, broadest on the inner margin. A light 

 drab-coloured striga, dark gray on the costa, runs from near the apex to the anal 

 angle, and between it and the middle of the wing is an oval spot of the same 

 colour. Cilia white, speckled with dark gray. Posterior wings dusky. Expanse of 

 wings eight lines. I captured this insect on the Hill of Howth, about the 20th of 

 June, 1857, and felt convinced at the lime that it was undescribed, but did not think 

 it desirable to name it until more specimens had been taken. Since then I have 

 ascertained that some specimens have been taken on the Cheshire coast, both by Mr. 

 Gregson and Mr. Greening ; and this season it has been taken in the same locality 

 where I found it four years since. It is more like E. dubitana than any other species, 

 but is sharper-winged, larger and lighter-coloured, especially near the apex of the 

 wing. — Nicholas Cooke. [Read before the Northern Entomological Society.'] 



Notes on a Species of LithocoUetis bred from Cherry-leaves. — In the middle of 

 September I found, in a garden at Exeter, several mines of a LithocoUetis in the 

 leaves of a Morella cherry tree trained against a wall. These travelled about with me 

 for about ten days, and a few days after my arrival at home two perfect insects made their 

 appearance, — a rather unusual occurrence, as at that time most of the second brood of 

 LithocoUetis larvae should have been feeding. Now, according to the views enter- 

 tained by some entomologists, and chiefly by one gentleman of high standing in the 

 science, these should be L. cerasicolella, a species that has not yet been found in this 

 country, and which on the Continent mines in Pruuus Padus, and belongs to a section 

 of the genus, the species of which mostly aflfect trees or shrubs of the order Rosacese. 

 But the insects are not L. cerasicolella ; they are in fact L. torminella, typical and 

 unchanged in any way ; and this I consider as additional proof of the stability of the 

 latter as a species. L. torminella feeds naturally on Sorbus torminalis, and as this 

 shrub is closely allied to the wild apple, and as the insect is also closely allied to L. 

 pomifoliella, which feeds on the latter tree, here is a good opportunity for testing 

 the theory that difiference of food may cause differences in the perfect insects, so great 

 as to cause some entomologists to consider them distinct species ; but that food does 

 cause such differences is, I think, clearly disproved in the present instance. Pyrus 

 Malus is more closely allied to Sorbus (Pyrus) torminalis than is Morella cherry to the 

 latter species ; and so, allowing that food may cause variation, the perfect insects 

 from the cherry should have been more distinct from L. torminella than that species is 

 from L. pomifoliella, and perhaps should have been L. cerasicolella. The result 

 I think shows the fallacy of the theory. I have before promulgated my views on this 

 subject, and pen these remarks in no party spirit; but the facts here referred to 

 appeared to have so strong a bearing on the matter that I could not resist recording 

 them.— -R. M'Lachlan; 1, Park Road Terrace, Forest Hill, October 10, 1861. 



Pupa of a Limnobius enclosed in a Jelly-like Substance.— Ja a pond near Rainhill 

 I lately found the pupa of a Dipterous insect, enclosed in a wrapper of jelly, so pel- 

 lucid that when transferred to a glass of pure water it was scarcely visible. The jelly 

 was five or six times the thickness of the enclosed pupa, and quite firm. In a few 

 days the transformation took place, and the insect proved to be a Limnobia ; I am not 

 certain of what species. — Henry H. Higgins. 



VOL. XIX. ^ '^ 



